Iguchi wouldn't be surprised at trade possibilities

Nathaniel Whalen

Thursday

Jun 21, 2007 at 12:01 AMJun 21, 2007 at 8:00 PM

White Sox notebook

Tadahito Iguchi knows there’s always a possibility of being traded, but the White Sox second baseman really wouldn’t be surprised if he or some of his teammates were gone soon considering how poorly they’re playing.

“As a player, we just go out and play and what happens, happens,” Iguchi said through translator David Yamamoto. “Players, every player, every year, every time, you expect anything to happen. It’s not just this year. If you don’t perform, you get moved. If you don’t win, changes come.”

Iguchi can become a free agent after this season and could be an ideal rent-a-player for a contender that needs a cheap infielder. He has a $3.25 million salary this season.

Iguchi didn’t help his value Tuesday, failing to get down a bunt in the seventh inning when the Sox had men on first and second with no outs. Iguchi struck out, and the Sox didn't score in the inning and eventually lost 7-5.

“If Iguchi bunts the ball down, we don’t have to start with (Matt) Thornton (in the ninth),” manager Ozzie Guillen said during his postgame rant Tuesday. “We are up by one run in the ninth, and then (closer) Bobby (Jenks) is coming out and we see what happens. The way we go probably blew the game.

“I’m more disappointed I couldn’t get the bunt down,” Iguchi said. “That’s the bottom line. We haven’t been able to lay down bunts as a team, and we just have to be better.”

Iguchi did not start Wednesday’s game, but Guillen said he just wanted to give him a day off.

Back at it Friday?

Jim Thome (sore back) was out of the lineup for the second straight day Wednesday, but said he’ll “absolutely” be back Friday.

“I’m a little more in line today than when there was the spasm,” Thome said. “I’m sure as we go on today it will get better. It will get better as we go.”

Thome could be joined in the lineup by Darin Erstad (sprained left ankle), who Guillen said “should” be ready to come off the disabled list and play Friday.

Jerry Owens was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte to make room for Erstad on the roster.

Pleading for a fifth

Rookie fifth starter John Danks was pulled after four-plus innings and 83 pitches Tuesday night. He has pitched fewer than six innings in five straight games, and Guillen insinuated his job could soon be on the line.

“I just sent a message,” Guillen said. “I said the only reason he made this ballclub — not the only reason, one of the big reasons he made this ballclub out of spring training — was because he was throwing strikes. Now I don’t see that and I don’t see that just yesterday. Every time this kid is ahead in the count, he’s pretty good. But not too much time he’s ahead in the count.”

That’s not pretty

Catcher Toby Hall was pulled from Tuesday’s game because of stomach flu and ended up spending the night at Rush University Medical Center receiving fluids.

“If I wasn’t playing yesterday, I could hide out in the bullpen and throw up down there,” Hall said. “It happened to be the day when I get out there and have to play.”

More Sox coverage can be found online at www.dailysouthtown.com/sports.

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